Collection › LCMS Convention Proceedings (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1941 · 38th Convention, Fort Wayne › Page 219
LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1941, Page 219

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

Reports and Action on Various Mission-Fields 219

In our South American Home Mission fields the burden of
‘preaching the Gospel must gradually be placed upon a native.
Tninistry trained in our South American seminaries. This will
eventually make for a native Church, which also in the course
‘ of time will be self-supporting.

‘For more than forty years we guided, directed, and financed
the work in the South American fields to the best of our knowledge
and ability. That we have not always succeeded to do this to
the fullest satisfaction of all the South American churches we
might well expect. Because of the long-distance control of the
mission-field in a country entirely foreign to us it may be that we
did not always fully understand, though our intentions were good. —

But what of the future of our South American churches in
these troublesome days? No one can tell. Already laws were -
enacted in Brazil which make it impossible for the home Church
to send men trained in North America unless they are natives.
None but natives are permitted to teach and supervise the work in
our schools. Naturalized citizens may teach, but only under the
leadership of native teachers. All pastors must preach in the
language of the country.

The brethren of our Brazilian District Board of Missions hope
that our Church will fare better when it will be recognized by
the government as a local Church. Up to the present time it is
regarded as a religious society on the same level with other
societies and clubs. In government circles and. in the press, from
_ time to time, opinions were expressed that laws might be con-
sidered not to permit any organization to accept subsidies from
foreign countries. Thank God that until now such laws were
not passed.

In Argentina the laws restricting the work of our Church
are not so stringent, although also in Argentina regulations per-
taining to visas are more and more restricted; but until now we
can send additional men to help them, and our brethren are hopeful
that no further restricting laws will be enacted.

In view of these and other reasons we believe it to be in
the interest of our South American Church, for its present status
and for its future development, to advance another step towards
building an indigenous Church in South America. We suggest

That Synod place the District of Brazil and the District of
Argentina, ‘Districts of South America, on the same basis with
the subsidized Districts of North America; and

That Synod create a Board of Home Missions for North and
South America.